How to Conduct Family Bible Time

Written by Wayne Poling

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Deut. 6:6-7, NKJV).

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Ask almost any parent in your church and they would tell you that they desire their home to be the center of biblical guidance for their children. They desire their home to be a place where their children are lead by word and example to integrate the Scriptures into their lives, influencing how they think and act. While many of our families desire to have strong Christian homes that are founded on the Word of God, sadly, many are failing. Victor Lee and Jerry Pipes in Family to Family (North American Mission Board, SBC, 1999) quote the following statistics from the American Family Association research:

Only 34 percent of American families eat one meal together each day.
The average father spends only eight to 10 minutes a day with his children. This includes television and meal times.
Only 12 percent of America’s families pray together.
The average couple spends only four minutes of uninterrupted time together a day.

Family Bible Time is a 20 to 30 minute time set aside each week to help families focus on the Bible lessons as a family. In the Family Bible Study series, every member of the family studies the same theme (and usually the same Scripture) every Sunday, allowing the whole family to explore the same theme during Family Bible Time.

Family Bible Time is a marvelous opportunity for the Sunday School and home to partner together. Adult Sunday School leaders have the opportunity to join hands with preschool, children, and youth leaders in making the home the center of biblical instruction. As an adult Sunday School leader you should take the lead by conducting Family Bible Time in your own home and by encouraging your class members to do the same in their homes. Family Bible Time will not happen accidentally. For Family Bible Time to be most effective it must be made a priority and it must be planned. As an adult Sunday School leader you can equip adults to plan Family Bible Time guiding them to the following help in the Family Bible Study resources:

Family Bible Time icon. Encourage adults to look for this icon in preschool, children, and youth “take-home” pieces and in leader guides for assistance with Family Bible Time. The icon directs them to age-appropriate ideas you can use during Family Bible Time.
Family Bible Time EXTRA! Additional suggestions for the next two weeks of Family Bible Time are available online. Each week Family Bible Study EXTRA will provide the theme, Family Bible Time Passages, Introduction to Parents, and suggested activities for youth, children, and preschoolers. The section entitled “Introduction to Parents” provides parents with background information regarding the Family Bible Time passage and its relationship to the family.

Steps in Planning a Family Bible Time

Reserve a specific time for Family Bible Time. The reality of today is that families are very busy. A variety of activities pull families in many directions. Unless you reserve a specific, agreed upon time for Family Bible Time you will find your family having a very difficult time finding any time in common. Reserve the time, ask your family to protect the time as well as is possible. You will have to adjust at times, but you will be adjusting from a set priority rather than having to search for a time to get together.
Gather at a designated place. Family traditions are wonderful and memorable. Find a specific place you will gather every time you have Family Bible Time. At times due to the activities of your Family Bible Time you may move from that place to another place, but reach a designated place to gather.
Read the Family Passage for the week. The Family Passage is from the common study theme/passage for the previous Sunday in the Family Bible Study series.
For preschoolers, children, and youth, incorporate ideas from their take-home pieces to reinforce the lesson’s application. The preschooler, children, and youth learner guides or take-home pieces have suggested activities for Family Bible Time to reinforce the lesson’s application. In addition to looking at the suggestions for Family Bible Time in their own materials, adults should read through the suggestions in their children’s learner guides. Incorporating activities from your children’s learning guides will make the Family Bible Time more meaningful and more enjoyable for them.
Talk about family needs, experiences, plans. So few families today, even Christian families, have any kind of meaningful discussions as a family. The closeness, openness, and dialogue built in sharing needs, experiences, and plans will build wonderful memories and open the door for even greater communication.
Pray together. As you read the Bible, participate in activities, and share together, prayer concerns will naturally surface. Learning to carry prayer concerns to the Lord as a family is so very important. As you build these Family Bible Time experiences you will cherish opportunities as family to pray for concerns together and make prayer a centerpiece of your family life.

Take advantage of teachable moments to remind family members of the importance of focusing on the Bible lessons as a family. Encourage them to have a Family Bible Time each week. Lead them to make their homes the center of biblical instruction for their children so their home my be as Joshua’s: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Wayne Poling is Sunday School/FAITH ministry specialist at LifeWay Christian Resources, Nashville, Tennessee.